Parks & Squares of Savannah

When you look at satelite images of this city, the first thing you notice is all the green. Savannah Georgia has to have more parks per square mile than almost any city in the United States.

In our feature photo we show one of those many parks, Forsyth Park in the southern section of the historic district. At the center of the park is Savannah’s crown jewel, the famous Forsyth Park Fountain. The wide sidewalks of this park are always busy with locals and visitors out taking a walk, walking the dog or jogging. Those incredible oak giants line the sidewalks and help to make the spot cooler on sweltering summer days.

These photos were taken in January of 2006 on our trip to Savannah Georgia using a Nikon Coolpix 4300. This grouping features scenes from Forsyth Park and the city’s numerous squares or parks.

In the first photo is shown a group of rowhouses in the historic district near Chatham Square near where we stayed at our bed and breakfast. We ended up with more photographs of Chatham Square than any of the other parks simply because it was so convenient being right out our front door. The squares give this city a unique gathering place for the little neighborhoods to come together, exercise, talk, walk the dog, or just hang out.

The second photo shows a detail shot of the Forsyth Park fountain, which was created in 1858. It is believed that the fountain was influenced by the fountain at the Place de la Concorde in Paris. The entire park, and Savannah’s development during this period were highly influenced by the urban renewal going on in Paris in the 1850’s. The park and the fountain were designed to be the focal point at the end of a long promenade that ran from City Hall (or the Exchange Building) to the new park. This tree lined promenade was Bull Street, which is one of Savannah’s most popular and beautiful streets in the historic district.

The third photo shows Chatham Square. The well maintained grassy areas, the flowering shrubs and bushes, the benches, the period street lamps and the walkways are all evidence of how this city cares for it’s best assets, it’s green spaces. This much maintenance is no small matter for the city, but it is appreciated by visitors and residents alike.

The forth photo shows Orleans Square and it’s elegant simple fountain. It is located adjacent to the Savannah Civic Center.